Analysis of Much Madness is Divinest Sense by Emily...

In Much Madness is divinest Sense (435), a definition poem, Emily Dickinson criticizes societys inability to accept rebellion, arguing that the majority is the side that should in fact be considered mad. The perception of madness and insanity are a common theme among Dickinsons poetry, as she fought against societys tainted view of herself as crazy. She focuses on how judgmental society is on non conformist views when she describes the majority as discerning (line 2). As similar to most of her poetry, she writes in iambic meter and uses slant rhyme, as lines one, three, and seven end with Sense, Madness, dangerous, and lines six and eight, in sane and Chain in seemingly rhyme scheme. Dickinson credits the majority†¦show more content†¦Although she was not literally insane, she was judged as so from society because she chose to bar herself socially for much of her adult life. Throughout the poem Dickinson exhibits anger both ambiguously, ?Much Madness is divinest Sense? (line 1) and blatantly, ?Demur?you?re straightway dangerous? (line 7), with a conflict of madness between the parties. The final line of the poem, ?And handled with a Chain?(line 8), is a direct reference to a psychiatric treatment performed late in the century, of a literal restraining of chaining patients who were considered mad and harmful to society. Kattelman believed Emily Dickinson was an expert at combining clever word choices with concepts and images into a few short but very powerful lines of poetry (1). On the surface ?Much Madness is divinest Sense? communicates both irony and defiance as the speaker denies the idea of common sense while reaching for a greater truth. We initially learn and recognize the difference between sane and insane as recognized by the society at large. As we read deeper, we begin to understand her syntax, use of punctuation and meaning of her seemingly random capitalization (2). Dickinson is no longer simply observing madness against the norms of society but declaring her own convictions of it. Kattelman argues her capitalization of words, for example ?Madness?, ?Sense?, and ?All? is her way of objectifying them as people. Dickinson often personifies animals, inanimate objects, andShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Human Mind By Emily Dickinson799 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen explored by authors and phi losophers across time. One such explorer on this line of questioning was the famous and reclusive early American poet, Emily Dickinson. Many of Dickinson’s poems involve themes of human understanding in some form or another, and her brilliance was a strong argument for the idea of unlimited mental capacity. Throughout Emily Dickinson’s poems, it is evident that while she explored both arguments of the human mind, she was a believer in the concept of an infinite mind. Read MoreEngish 1252305 Words   |  10 Pageswhat the other is going through, Yet, Tuesday 9/11/01 reminds us that this is not true. Conflicts and struggles lie deep within themselves but also among each other. In the comparing of Tuesday 9/11/01 with W.H. Auden’s Musee des Beaux Arts. The analysis of the second poem would be found in the first line â€Å" About suffering they were never wrong.† This poem is telling of the people’s response to tragedy, and the apathy with which people view individual suffering. In the beginning though the poem points